MSU chemistry student selected for prestigious inaugural leadership academy

MSU chemistry student selected for prestigious inaugural leadership academy

graduate student photo

STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State University’s Taofiq Abdulraheem, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry, has been chosen for the prestigious Leadership Development Academy, part of the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists.

Launched in 2024 by the American Society for Microbiology with support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the Leadership Development Academy offers a 2.5-day intensive training aimed at empowering senior-level graduate students and early-career postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups in STEM. 

The program focuses on leadership development, career advancement and fostering inclusive scientific communities.

“Selection for this program was limited to only 50 participants––including both graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from across the country and across 12 disciplines of science. Taofiq’s selection is a significant honor,” said Amanda Patrick, Abdulraheem’s advisor and an associate professor of chemistry. “This selection highlights the outstanding work being done by our graduate students, and I am eager to see the new insights and ideas Taofiq brings back to our department and how he applies it to his future career.”

Selected through a competitive nomination process by faculty or program directors, Abdulraheem will travel to Washington, D.C., October 4-6 for the in-person portion of the academy. Following the conference, he will participate in a four-month virtual, team-based community project, which will culminate in a presentation at the ABRCMS Summit in Spring 2025.

“Attending the Leadership Academy will help me gain insight into leadership styles and philosophies. Participation also will help me connect and learn from experienced leaders and experts from diverse fields which in turn will transform me into a more effective leader personally and professionally,” said Abdulraheem.

Abdulraheem received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and plans to graduate from MSU with his Ph.D. in 2025.

For more details about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Chemistry, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.chemistry.msstate.edu. 

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.

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